Vacuum draft submerged combustion separation system

Abstract

A vacuum draft submerged combustion system and method for separating combustible hydrocarbons and other components or liquid solutions from their solvents, usually water, includes evaporating volatile components by a submerged combustion burner and condensing the vaporized volatile components under a partial vacuum. The hot gases from the burner are injected under partial vacuum into the first tank. The hot gases bubbled through the solution cause volatile components in the liquid to be evaporated and collected above the level of the liquid. The collected gasses are drawn into a condensing tank where the condensable particulates are condensed and collected.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vacuum draft submerged combustion system for separating unwanted constituents of liquid comprising: a first closed tank including fluid inlet means, means for introducing a liquid into the first tank and means for maintaining the liquid in the first tank at a predetermined level, said first tank having an exhaust outlet and a solid particulate collection section at a lowermost portion thereof and means for removing solid particulates collected therein, a burner for burning a combustible fuel and heating a source of air, a conduit combustion chamber connected to said burner and disposed in said first tank below the level of said liquid for supplying heated air to the liquid; a bubble distributing means connected to said combustion chamber for receiving said heated air and disposed along a lowermost portion of said first tank for distribution of heated air bubbles in said liquid in a predetermined pattern, a second closed tank for maintaining a liquid at a predetermined level, said second tank having an inlet and an exhaust outlet, insulating duct means connecting the inlet of said second tank to the exhaust outlet of said first tank, and bubble distributing means within said second tank, said bubble distributing means including a conduit extending from the inlet of said second tank to a portion below the level of the liquid and means disposed at the end of said conduit for distribution of air bubbles drawn from said first tank into said liquid in the second tank, said second tank further including a solids particulate collection section at a lowermost portion thereof and means for removing solid particulates collected therein, and vacuum pump means connected to the outlet of said second tank for simultaneously drawing a partial vacuum in said first tank in the order of approximately 0.1 to 4.0 inches Hg (2 millibars to 90 millibars) and in said second tank in the order of approximately 2.0 inches Hg (50 millibars) to 10.0 inches Hg (260 millibars) to thereby significantly reduce the boiling point of liquids in the tanks and causing the bubbles flowing upwardly through the liquid to expand to a degree greater than that of a pressurized system to thereby provide an increased surface area of contact of the bubbles with the liquid and be drawn upward and outward serially through the liquid in the first and the second tanks for condensing the separated constituents, and means for venting uncondensed vapor portions of the vapor phase of the bubbles being drawn through the pump to the atmosphere.   
     
     
       2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said first tank includes means for adding a deemulsifier to said liquid. 
     
     
       3. The system according to claim 1 wherein during operation, said partial vacuum in said first tank is approximately 2.5 inches Hg (62.5 millibars) and said partial vacuum in said second tank is approximately 4.5 inches Hg (115 millibars). 
     
     
       4. A combustion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bubble distributing means in the first tank is a conical head, said head being connected at one end to the combustion chamber in the first tank and closed off at an opposite end and having a plurality of spaced openings for discharge of air bubbles. 
     
     
       5. A combustion system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the openings are disposed in multiple rows peripherally about the head in a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
       6. A combustion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bubble distributing means in the second tank is a conical head, said head being connected at one end to the conduit in said second tank and closed off at an opposite end and having a plurality of spaced openings for discharge of air bubbles. 
     
     
       7. A combustion system as set forth in claim 6 wherein the openings are disposed in multiple rows peripherally about the head in a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
       8. A combustion system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bubble distributing means in the first tank is a conduit disposed substantially horizontally along the length of the first tank, said conduit having a plurality of spaced openings for discharge of air bubbles into the first tank. 
     
     
       9. The system according to claim 1 further including means connected to said second tank for cooling the liquid in said second tank. 
     
     
       10. The system according to claim 1 including means for cooling liquid in said second tank. 
     
     
       11. A combustion system as set forth in claim 1 further including a cooling tank, first conduit means connected between said cooling tank and said second tank for transferring liquid to said cooling tank from said second tank, second conduit means connected between said cooling tank and said second tank for returning cooled liquid to said second tank and further including heat sink means connected to said second conduit for further cooling the liquid returning to said second tank.